Spread out under the majestic Caucasus mountain range like an 11,000 square meter grape basket is the Alazani Valley. Located in the Kakheti region in east Georgia, it could very well be the most beautiful wine region in the world. In September and October Kakheti comes to life as virtually every family prepares their own wine, just as their ancestors have done for centuries.

Late October is also the season for making chacha, that notorious Georgian moonshine made from the skins, stems, seeds and pulp left over from the primary wine fermentation process. Join Culinary Backstreets on an exclusive day trip to the pastoral village of Tskhnindali, the heart of the Kakheti wine region, to experience the adventure of zavodoba – the ritual of small batch chacha making.

Our hosts, the Nikolaishvili family, will lead us step-by-step through the chacha distillation process, from vine to bottle. We will also make bread and bake it in the family’s traditional tone oven and top off the occasion with a Kakhetian supra – an authentic village feast of seasonal delights, such as freshly butchered roast pork (or lamb, if we want), accompanied, as tradition dictates, by copious amounts of local wine and hooch.

The price includes transportation, food, drink and a take-home bottle of chacha.

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